A reactor for coating particles includes a stationary vacuum chamber that has a lower portion that forms a half-cylinder and an upper portion and that holds a bed of particles to be coated, a vacuum port in the upper portion of the chamber, a paddle assembly, and a gas injection assembly that includes a vaporizer to convert a first liquid to a first reactant or precursor gas, a manifold to receive the first reactant or precursor gas from the vaporizer, and a plurality of channels leading from the manifold to a plurality of apertures located in the lower portion of the chamber.

An axial impeller has blades formed from sheet metal blanks that are configured from taking a desired impeller blade and mathematically unwinding the blade to its flat counterpart. Preferably, the impeller blade is formed from a single rolling operation. The result of a thin, elongate blade, preferably having a trailing edge that defines a helix with rearwardly skewed, forwardly raked blades, provides an efficient impeller having good anti-ragging properties.

An apparatus for mixing is disclosed. In embodiments, the apparatus includes a head, a shaft, and a base. In embodiments, the shaft couples to the head and includes a first opening at a bottom portion of the shaft. In embodiments, the base couples to the bottom portion of the shaft and includes a second opening that extends through the base and is aligned to the first opening. In embodiments, the first and second openings are configured to receive a reciprocating motor shaft.

A method for mixing a fluid includes: dispensing a first volume of a fluid into a flexible container, the flexible container being at least partially disposed within the chamber of a support housing; repeatedly moving the support housing and the flexible container contained therein so as to mix the first volume of fluid within the flexible container; adding further fluid into the flexible container after moving the support housing to form a second volume of fluid; and manipulating a mixing element within the flexible container so as to mix the second volume of fluid.

A fluid mixing system includes a container, such as a flexible bag, bounding a compartment. A flexible drive line is disposed within the compartment, the drive line having a first end rotatably connected to a first end of the container and an opposing second end rotatably connected to a second end of the container. At least one mixing element, such as an impeller, can be coupled with the flexible drive line. Rotation of the drive line facilitates rotation of the impeller within the container.

An axial impeller has blades formed from sheet metal blanks that are configured from taking a desired impeller blade and mathematically unwinding the blade to its flat counterpart. Preferably, the impeller blade is formed from a single rolling operation. The result of a thin, elongate blade, preferably having a trailing edge that defines a helix with rearwardly skewed, forwardly raked blades, provides an efficient impeller having good anti-ragging properties.

A mixing device, in particular bulk material mixing device, with at least one mixing container comprises a receiving region for receiving a material to be mixed, with at least one mixing unit which is configured for mixing the material to be mixed that is present in the mixing container, and with at least one lump breaker unit comprising at least one cutter element which protrudes into the mixing container, wherein the at least one lump breaker unit is arranged in a frontal region of the mixing container.

A reactor for coating particles includes a stationary vacuum chamber that has a lower portion that forms a half-cylinder and an upper portion and that holds a bed of particles to be coated, a vacuum port in the upper portion of the chamber, a paddle assembly, and a gas injection assembly that includes a vaporizer to convert a first liquid to a first reactant or precursor gas, a manifold to receive the first reactant or precursor gas from the vaporizer, and a plurality of channels leading from the manifold to a plurality of apertures located in the lower portion of the chamber.

A mixing system for mixing a liquid includes a first impeller segment having a first mount and a first mixing blade secured to the first mount and a second impeller segment having a second mount and a first mixing blade secured to the second mount, the second impeller segment being separate and discrete from the first impeller segment. One or more drive members are secured to the first impeller segment and the second impeller segment for concurrently rotating the first impeller segment and the second impeller segment about a rotational axis. The first impeller segment and the second impeller segment are secured to the one or more drive members so that a plane extending normal to the axis of rotation intersects with the first mixing blade of the first impeller segment and the first mixing blade of the second impeller segment.

Fluid impellers for biocontainers, and bioprocessing units including the impellers and biocontainers, and methods of using the impellers, are disclosed.